Kavadas has more raw power and a better track record of hitting home runs than almost any player in the Draft. He tied for the Cape Cod League lead with nine homers in the summer of 2019 and for top Atlantic Coast Conference honors with seven more in just 13 games as a Notre Dame junior in 2020. He opened the 2021 season by going deep in his first two at-bats against Wake Forest potential first-rounder Ryan Cusick, including a mammoth blast off a 99-mph fastball, and led NCAA Division I with 0.47 homers per game while ranking third with 22 blasts.
Kavadas packs a lot of strength and bat speed in his 6-foot-1, 235-pound frame, and the ball explodes off his bat with some of the best exit velocities in the 2021 class. A left-handed hitter, he continually has gotten better at driving balls in the air and managing the strike zone during his time in college, allowing him to make the most of his double-plus raw power. He's making better swing decisions and showing more polish at the plate, and one scout compared him to Eric Hinske with less defensive versatility.
All of Kavadas' value will come from his offensive production, so he has to hit, and some teams will hold his advanced age (22 years, eight months on Draft day) against him. Though he spent most of his first two college seasons at third base, he has played the last two years solely at first base and DH is his only other option. He's a bottom-of-the-scale runner with below-average arm strength and range.
Kavadas helped establish his power bona fides when he led the Cape Cod League with nine homers in 2019, then hit seven in 13 games for Notre Dame before the pandemic ended the 2020 season. He hit 22 more in 2021, but didn’t go until Round 11 to the Red Sox because he wouldn’t take a senior discount. After signing for an over-slot $250,000, he reached Double-A in his first full season, smashing 26 homers and finishing with a .990 OPS. He turned into a three-true-outcomes type in 2023, with 22 homers, a 20.4 percent walk rate and 35.8 percent strikeout rate while reaching Triple-A. Back at the level in 2024 at age 25, Kavadas was producing similar BB and K rates when he was sent to the Angels at the Trade Deadline in the Luis García deal.
Kavadas has the ability to punish the baseball from the left side of the plate, with bat speed and strength emanating from his compact frame. He works counts and has no problems taking walks while looking for a pitch to drive. His swing decisions have regressed at the upper levels and it’s clear high strikeouts will always be a part of his game, something the Angels might be willing to live with if the power keeps showing up.
As a bottom-of-the-scale runner with limited range and below-average arm strength, Kavadas offers no value on the bases and little in the field. He began his college career at third base but first base is his only option besides DH, his likely destination. In order to get big league at-bats, he'll need to keep producing power and has a long track record of doing so.
Kavadas topped the Cape Cod League with nine homers in 2019, the Atlantic Coast Conference with seven in 13 games during the shortened 2020 season and NCAA Division I with 0.47 bombs per game while ranking third with a Notre Dame-record 22 blasts in 2021. He lasted 11 rounds in the 2021 Draft because he wouldn't take a deep discount as a fourth-year collegian but landed a $250,000 bonus, twice the assigned value for his selection. He continued to do damage in his first full pro season, finishing second in the Minors in on-base percentage (.443), fifth in walks (102) and seventh in OPS (.990).
Kavadas excels at hitting the ball very hard from the left side of the plate, generating plenty of bat speed and strength from his compact 6-foot-1, 235-pound frame. He works deep counts looking to do damage and accepts walks if pitchers won't challenge him. He did run into trouble in Double-A, striking out at a 40 percent rate as his swing decisions deteriorated, and he'll have to prove he can make adjustments against advanced pitchers.
As a bottom-of-the-scale runner with limited range and below-average arm strength, Kavadas offers no value on the bases and little in the field. He began his college career at third base but first base is his only option besides DH, his likely destination. In order to get big league at-bats, he'll need to keep producing power and has a long track record of doing so.
Kavadas had a track record of hitting for power in college, leading the Cape Cod League with nine home runs in the summer of 2019, the Atlantic Coast Conference with seven in just 13 games during the truncated 2020 season and NCAA Division I with 0.47 homers per game while ranking third with a Notre Dame-record 22 bombs in 2021. He slid in the Draft because he wouldn't accept a steep discount as a fourth-year player but landed a $250,000 bonus (twice the assigned value for his pick) in the 11th round. He has destroyed pitching at two Class A levels while challenging for the Minor League lead in walks, on-base percentage and slugging during his first full pro season.
With the strength and the bat speed he generates from his compact 6-foot-1, 235-pound frame, Kavadas routintely produces high exit velocities. He improved his ability to control the strike zone and launch balls in the air throughout his college career, allowing him to maximize his plus-plus raw power from the left side of the plate. More than just a mashes, he works counts and makes good swing decisions, though strikeouts will be a byproduct of his pop.
Almost all of Kavadas' value comes from his bat, but it may be good enough to carve out a role in Boston. He's a bottom-of-the-scale runner with limited range and below-average arm strength. Though he spent most of his first two years with the Fighting Irish at third base, he moved exclusively to first base as a junior and DH is his only other option.
Kavadas tied for the home run lead in the Cape Cod League (nine) in the summer of 2019 and the Atlantic Coast Conference (seven in just 13 games) as a Notre Dame junior in 2020. He opened this college season by going deep in his first two at-bats against Wake Forest first-rounder Ryan Cusick and topped NCAA Division I with 0.47 homers per game while ranking third with a school-record 22 long balls this spring. He dropped to the 11th round of the Draft because he wouldn't take a steep discount earlier as a fourth-year player but landed a $250,000 bonus, twice the assigned value for the pick.
Kavadas generated some of the best exit velocities in the Draft, the product of the strength and bat speed he generates with his compact 235-pound frame. He improved his ability to drive balls in the air and manage the strike zone throughout his college career, allowing him to get the most out of his plus-plus raw power from the left side of the plate. He made better swing decisions and showed more polish at the plate in 2021, prompting one scout to liken him to Eric Hinske with less defensive versatility.
Though Kavadas spent most of his first two seasons with the Fighting Irish at third base, he played his last two years exclusively at first and DH is his only other option. He has bottom-of-the-scale speed along with below-average range and arm strength. He'll have to ride his bat to the big leagues and may be able to do so.
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2024
4
3
6
2
5
6
5
3
4
3
5
5
4
4
6
3
3
3
3
5
4
5
6
4
4
4
2
1
4
6
6
Player
4
3
6
2
5
6
5
3
4
3
5
5
4
4
6
3
3
3
3
5
4
5
6
4
4
4
2
1
4
6
6
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here